Wednesday was SEED20 Selection Night where all twenty participants in the SEED20 Class of 2018 gave their three minute pitches in hopes of being selected as one of the ten to present on the stage of Knight Theater on April 16th. All involved — the coaches and SVP Partners — were blown away by the passion and purpose with which these change makers shared their stories. In addition, they cheered one another on — celebrating each other’s success and truly rooting for everyone to do their best. And they did! We are humbled to have had this special time to get to know them and can’t wait for you to meet all 20 at SEED20 OnStage on April 16th!
SVP Partner, Harrison Marshall closed the evening with this fitting tribute to the SEED20 Class of 2018.
You do so much for our community.
Many of you focus on educating and empowering our children:
You inspire our girls to become innovators in the technology industry. (INTech Camp for Girls)
You inspire our boys to chase their dreams and face their obstacles, and you do that through afterschool fitness challenges and character development programs. (Xcel 2 Fitness)
You give our students STEM training, while simultaneously saving the planet. (100 Gardens)
You empower high school upperclassmen to mentor freshmen students, helping not only the freshmen, but also teaching the upperclassmen the joy and the skill of inspiring others! (Ultreia Society)
You help our children sort through the many negative messages that bombard them all day long through various media, helping them defy the stereotypes and become fiscally responsible, productive and educated citizens. (The Be More Foundation)
You ensure that our children have the foundational reading skills necessary for academic and life success. You offer the reading vaccine. (Reading Partners Charlotte)
Some of you make sure that art and literature have a place in the lives of all of our children, and in each case, learning the particular artistic talent is just the beginning:
You provide high quality arts education (not just the crayons and markers) that develops the three Cs: confidence, creativity and critical thinking. (Lorien Academy of the Arts)
You bring Shakespeare to neighborhoods that are not accustomed to seeing The Bard, and the children emerge with greater self-confidence and enhanced reading comprehension – not to mention also getting a heathy dose of goal setting skills. (Shakespeare in a Chair)
You promote social change through music, putting musical instruments in the hands of children and offering intensive afterschool trainings, while also building leadership and life skills. (Project Harmony)
Some of you are devoted to helping our most vulnerable neighbors:
Some of these neighbors – tragically – are the victims of child abuse, and you intervene on their behalf. You are also taking innovative steps to prevent other children from becoming victims. (Project Safe Child)
Some of our neighbors have cancer and are in need of transportation to and from their chemo treatments, and you ensure that they arrive on time, every time so that they get the care they need – saving lives. (ChemoCars)
Some of our neighbors don’t have access to fresh produce, and you empower them to grow their own food. (Pop Up Produce)
Some of our young neighbors – if not for your programs – would be victims of bullying or helpless bystanders to bullying. (Respect Ability Foundation)
You help folks get back on their feet:
In some cases, those who benefit from your assistance are coming out of prison. For them, you give them the skills they need to find viable employment in areas that address many of Charlotte’s critical needs. (Human Capital Investment)
In some other cases, you use running to empower individuals to break cycles of abuse, abandonment, neglect, poverty, and homelessness. (RunningWorks)
In some cases, you serve as the critical connection between our neighbors who need help and the specialized services that will most enable their recovery. (The Resource Connection Gateway)
You make the world a better, more caring and more just place:
You do that by teaching adolescent males to engage in responsible behavior and healthy decision-making, and helping them understand that sensitivity is not the opposite of masculinity. (Wise Guys)
You do that by promoting connection and social justice for transgender individuals. (Transcend Charlotte)
You do that through the use of creative methods to advocate for those who face systematic social discrimination and to disrupt ingrained conscious and unconscious bias. (Think Broader Foundation)
You find talent and ability where others see disability; you ask those folks – for the first time – “What do you want to be when you grow up?”; you offer training and work opportunities to allow young adults with “special talents” to lead full and productive lives. (ZABS Place)
You inspire us. You humble us. We are grateful for having this time to spend with you.
Come celebrate the power of social innovation and meet the SEED20 Class of 2018 on April 16th at SEED20 OnStage!
